Thursday, April 28, 2011

The upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince Williams and Kate Middleton is the much talked about event of the decade and probably the biggest wedding ceremony to take place this month. The date for the wedding has been set as 29th of April 2011 and will be broadcast live online by the Royalchannel on You tube. The whole event that is scheduled to take place at the Westminster Abbey will take about four hours of coverage from 10:am to 2:00pm and will also be chronicled on facebook, flickr and the official website. The entire event will also be accompanied by a live blog commentary that will be put together by the staff at Clarence House and St. James Palace. That's not all, there will be a video wedding book that will be offered to the public to sign in. So, be sure to watch this grand wedding ceremony live online. There are just 8 days left to the countdown.

There have been more detailed announcements made at the BBC news website regarding the wedding preparations. Clarence House said that "the route of the carriage procession would pass along The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, along the south side of Parliament Square and into Broad Sanctuary. More details of the entire procession and the exact time table is as follows: (provided at the link above)

* 1015 - The groom and Prince Harry arrive at Westminster Abbey

* 1051 - The bride, and her father, leave the Goring Hotel for the abbey
* 1100 - The marriage service begins

* 1230 - The bride's carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace

* 1325 - The Queen and the bride and groom appear on the balcony
* 1330 - Fly past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Get the entire layout and map of the carriage procession as it goes along the wedding route that has been planned for the grand occassion. It starts from the Buckingham Palace to the mall, and ends at the Westminster Abbey. Well, obviously such a grand occasion next to only the Princess Diana's wedding ceremony will be a cause for celebrations for the entire country and its citizens, and therefore calls for a national holiday, which has already been declared. "With an extra day off for the royal wedding coming straight after the Easter weekend, lots of people only need to take three days leave to get 11 days off work."

This wedding reminds us of all the other royal weddings that have taken place so far in the history of the British royal family. You can relive those memories by taking a look at the pictures of the royal weddings along with clips from the BBC television and Radio programmes. Most of these royal events were watched by millions on television as they became a global event.

Kate Middleton and her family's social status has suddenly been elevated due to her engagement to Prince Williams who is the next heir to the throne, thereby making her the potential future queen of England. To honor this status her father Michael commissioned a Coat of Arms that features three acorn sprigs, one for each of the Middletons' children to mark his daughter's marriage to Prince William on 29th April. It cost about £4,400 to make this coat of arms.

With the preparations in full swing and all the arrangements that have to be made for such a grand scale global event, there can be no scope for any last minute surprises to mar the event. The biggest worry is the weather, of course. One wouldn't want sudden rain showers to spoil the whole procession. So all eyes are on the weather department to forecast a bright sunny day on 29th April. But what does the Met Office have to say?

"The outlook from the data provider for BBC Weather is optimistic. "We're in the midst of a pretty good spell of weather. I think there's little change from what we've got now, condition-wise - with high pressure seemingly dominating across the UK particularly across the south," says Barry Gromett from the Met Office.

"It looks reasonably promising. I wouldn't like to put any real detail on it this far away but it's looking that the chances are we'll get good conditions, light winds, temperatures in the teens. It doesn't look like a complete wash-out."" Read the full Report.

For more details about the wedding, you can head to The Royal Channel on you tube, which has been named as the official channel of the British Monarchy to broadcast Prince Williams, Catherine Middleton wedding live online. Here you can find the links to the live broadcast, the procession map, and the wedding book. There is also an opportunity for you to send your message to Prince Williams and Kate Middleton with the help of a video that you can upload to the site. Just make sure to upload your messages well before the end of the wedding, if you want them to be seen by the "happy couple".

Well, this royal wedding is not just all glitz and glamour. There is a noble side to it, which is in the form of The Charitable Gift Fund set up by the happy couple, Prince Williams and Kate Middleton, to support the five causes selected by them. Anyone who wishes to send the couple a wedding gift can consider doing so in the form of a donation to any one of these causes. You can learn more about this charitable gift fund at the link provided. http://www.royalweddingcharityfund.org/faqs.php

Friday, April 8, 2011

It is all over the news. One man fasting to bring about the Jan Lokpal bill. Who is he? Anna Hazare is an ex-army man who fought in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. He is a social activist who has been involved in various projects that brought about improvements in the quality of life of many people, for which he was decorated with the Padma Bhushan award, by the Indian Government.

Anna Hazare, a 73-year-old Gandhian started the campaign on 7th April 2011 by going on a fast in the hot sun, that he will maintain till his death unless the Government agrees to consider a powerful law that could rid Indian politics of the scourge of corruption. He has taken a similar stance as that of the great Mahatma Gandhi to fight for this cause, which is very courageous and he is very determined to get the desired results. This powerful law would give an independent body the power to punish corruption -- even in the Prime Minister’s office.

Veteran social activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare has written an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In the letter dated April 6, 2011, Hazare has raised many questions and sought the Prime Minister's reply. The full text of the letter is available at ibnlive.in.com.

For many years now, the Indian government and the various politicians, bureaucrats and political parties have been involved in shady corrupt practices that involved crores of rupees and scams, but nobody has been punished to date because the justice system itself takes so many years to function. It has become a habit now. So much so that not a single task can be done without bribing an official, be it any office. This cannot spell good for any nation's economical progress and growth. So it is in our best interest to see such a law being enforced that would make the politicians and various office bearers responsible and accountable for their deeds and actions. Anna Hazare has initiated the movement, sent the ball rolling, so to speak. What is this cause?

"Hazare is championing a citizen-developed bill called “Jan” Lokpal that will create an independent body, selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities, with enough power to investigate and punish all politicians. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence its investigations.

Since 1968, when this bill was first introduced, greedy politicians have thwarted its passing. Now the government is pushing for a watered down Lokpal with no hope of ending fraud, vice and dishonesty -- it gives politicians overriding power to decide who will be investigated, and is a complete sellout.

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to endorse the "Jan" Lokpal. Members of the opposition party have begun to make the right noises in support of Anna Hazare. And even the National Advisory Council, a powerful advisory body to Sonia Gandhi have come out in favour of the bill. But corrupt politicians and vested interests are doing all they can to kill it.

Anna Hazare has set the example. But only a national citizens movement can ramp up the pressure to get Mr. Manmohan Singh to endorse “Jan” Lokpal and save Hazare's life."

We can all make a difference, bytaking part in the social movement.For the first time in forty three years, we have the chance to change the way politics is done. Let's join together and stand with Anna Hazare to tackle corruption and clean up Indian politics. We have no time to lose -- sign the petition to be delivered directly to Prime Minister Singh and reported to the media, and spread the word to everyone: (an initiative taken by the website called Avaaz.org)

So far, 223,393 have signed.the petition. The word is soon spreading like wild fire. Lots of people have joined the movement from various parts of the country. The social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are being used to spread the word and garner support from the people and get their votes and signatures. I have also done my bit, by updating the news about Hazare on my facebook page. You can do it too. This video of Anna Hazare message against corruption is being circulated on facebook right now. you can share it too.

After watching this video, share it with your friends and be part of this social movement against corruption. Play your part by making people aware that one man is fighting for us all, it is time for us to support him.

Breaking News: In a latest development, "Kapil Sibal rejects Anna's demand to form a joint committee, Anna urges the nation to start Jail Bharo Aandolan - 12th April is the day!"

Today, 8th April 2011 is the third day of his fast , And Delhi has shown support to Anna Hazare by calling this a "Shor Machao" day! Location: India Gate at 6:30 PM Friday. Bethere to make some noise.

New Delhi: India Inc Friday extended support to social activist Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption, stating it is "sick" of the menace.

"We support any such movement by anybody, including Ramdev and Anna Hazare, to reduce corruption soon... We are sick of corruption," leading industrialist and Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj said. Adi Godrej, the Chairman of the Godrej Group, also extended support to Hazare, who has been sitting on a fast-unto-death since Tuesday to press for an effective Lokpal Bill to deal with corruption in high places. "Industry cannot go on streets. Yes, corporate India does support his cause. We are with him," said Godrej.

March is the season of spring, which brings with it the warmth of the sun rays that melt the winter snows. It also brings about a splash of color in nature as all the trees and plants begin to get their green leaves and colorful flowers back. In India, this season is welcomed with the colorful festival of "Holi" during which wet and dry colors are thrown on each other in a very playful manner and there is also a lot of song and dance. This is the time for carnivals that are full of colorful costumes, parades and colorful floats that are taken down the streets in various parts of the world. The Goa carnival is one such festivity that is extremely popular. This warmth will soon turn into the summer heat.

To beat this summer heat, there are many things that you can do to keep yourself cool. There are several juicy and fleshy fruits that are ideal for this summer heat and that will also cool you down. Muskmelon or Cantaloupe is the perfect summer fruit. There are many varieties of melons, namely the cantaloupe, honeydew and the watermelon are the most well known varieties. Other types are: Casaba, Crenshaw, Persian, Santa Claus and Sharlyn. Melons are from the same gourd family as squashes and cucumber, and they even have a similar structure as that of a squash with thick flesh and inner seed-filled midsection. But squashes are classified as vegetables whereas the melons are clasified as fruits with a sweet and juicy flavor.

Image: Wikimedia Commons: North American "cantaloupes," actually a type of muskmelon.

There are several health benefits associated with this fruit. Since it has a very high water content, it can help take care of the fluid loss that our bodies go through due to heavy perspiration in the summers. In this manner it helps to combat the heat in the body and thus prevents the heat-related disorders during the summer. Muskmelons are the ideal fruit for people who are counting calories and want to lose weight because it does not have high sugar content and therefore low in calories. It makes a perfect in-between-meal snack and takes care of your hunger pangs. It's yellow-orange colored soft and succulent flesh provides you with high dietary fibre and helps people with constipation. Muskmelons are also rich in antioxidants, a good source of vitamin-C and A, folic acid, and has concentrated levels of beta-carotene and potassium that helps to get rid of excess sodium in the body, thereby decreasing the cholesterol levels in the body. The antioxidants in the fruit helps the skin to look healthier and younger. This fruit is also great for menstruating women as it helps to reduce the heavy flow and clots.

The best part is that muskmelons are easily available in a store near you, so go ahead and get a bite of this fruit and enjoy its numerous health benefits. It's also very easy to select the perfect melon, just see that they should not have cracks, soft spots, or dark bruises. You can store uncut melons at room temperature for two to four days or until it gets fully ripe. Then you can refrigerate it for upto five days. Cut melons are aromatic and so their smell can easily penetrate other foods, so to avoid that you should keep them covered. Also remember to wash the melons in warm soapy water thoroughly to remove any impurities that might be carried from the knife blade to the flesh. Cut in half, and remove the seeds and strings from the center by scooping it out. Muskmelon can be had in many different ways. It can be mixed with other fruits to make some really delicious and cool recipes. You can make cool juices, milk shakes, fruit salads, sharbat and even ice creams. Get a bite into good health!

Listed below are links to some great muskmelon recipes that you can try:

For the past few years, I had been experiencing severe mood swings, from one extreme to another. At times, I was very happy and then suddenly, for no reason, I would feel highly depressed, giving in to uncontrollable crying. I found it difficult to control my anger, got irritable and had a lot of anxiety and panic attacks, driving me to the depths of misery. I had also put on a lot of weight, and I kept attributing all my symptoms to other personal and situational causes, blaming everyone and anything in sight for my plight, including my hypothyroid condition (which I had recently discovered). After all, I was still young, in my late 30s. But I was shocked out of this false reverie when a timely conversation with my eldest sister suddenly put things in a different perspective.

No young woman, especially one who is in her prime of youth (mid-30s), would even dream of going through menopausal symptoms (or now referred to as perimenopausal symptoms) at that age, and neither did I. But it can happen, as I discovered, and it was happening to me. My mother and sister both had their menopause by the age of 40-41 years. This sudden realisation hit me hard, and I felt the need to understand more about perimenopause and menopause in women. That was when I began to research the subject on the Internet and now wish to share my newfound knowledge with other women out there who may be experiencing the same.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Menopause, as most of us already know, is the cessation of normal menstrual period in women. Strictly speaking, menopause can be defined as the last menstrual period. However, since there are many reasons due to which a period may get delayed or skipped, to be very sure, a woman is said to have reached menopause if she has not had her periods for a complete year.

Menopause, unfortunately, is not an overnight phenomenon. It happens gradually. In order to be able to fully comprehend what exactly happens in the perimenopause phase, we need to understand what happens in a normal menstrual cycle, especially the role that hormones play in the whole process. To put it briefly, the hormone estrogen, or more specifically, estradiol and androgen are responsible for preparing the vagina for accepting the sperm. Estradiol thickens the endometrial lining and also plays a role in making the cervical mucus ready for the sperm. Androgen is converted into more estrogen by the ovaries, which helps in getting rid of the egg follicles, which are not matured completely. The hormone progesterone helps to offset the effects of estrogen and in making the endometrial lining ready for implantation, if the egg is fertilized. Progestrone is produced by the follicle, which has released the mature egg. If the egg is not fertlized the endometrial lining deteriorates and the lining is shed.

Over time, the ovaries produce fewer and fewer of the hormones Estrogen and Progesterone. As a woman gets older, the levels of these two hormones start going down, and the pituitary gland secretes higher levels of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) to keep the ovaries working normally. The pituitary gland does succeed to a great extent and manages to keep the ovaries going for quite some time, and then eventually it gives up.

Now you have to understand that the levels of hormones produced by a woman’s body varies from person to person, and the age when the levels of production of hormones starts declining also varies. The period between the times when the levels of hormones start declining to the time when the production stops completely (menopause) is termed as Perimenopause. During this period, as explained above, the levels of hormones are shifting wildly and the same is reflected in symptoms in the body. These symptoms may be physical, mental or emotional.

It is very important for women to understand the signs and symptoms that occur during the perimenopause and menopause phase as it brings about major changes in their lives not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally as well. Therefore, it would do well for a woman to be ready to embrace these changes, and a good time to start planning a midlife wellness strategy that should begin with a complete medical check up. One needs to remember that each woman is an expert of her own body and she can have the maximum benefits in her favour if she is well informed about her condition.

The signs and symptoms of perimenopause can occur 10-15 years before the actual menopause takes place. The age when these signs and symptoms can appear in women normally range from the 45-55 years, although it varies for different women. Some women may never even experience any symptoms before their menopause. The average age, however, for the final menstrual period is 51 years.

The most common symptoms of perimenopause are frequent hot flashes, night sweats and coldness. There may be irregularity in the menstrual periods, which may be heavy, light, shorter or longer cycles. Every woman is different and will have her own unique signs and symptoms depending on her personal body environment and circumstances. There may be difficulty sleeping, getting to sleep or staying asleep. Women may experience changes in their moods causing them to get more anxious or depressed, or become more irritable. There may also be heart palpitations, in which case it is always best to consult a physician. Other symptoms include dry skin, hair loss, loss of libido, vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence. It is also common for a woman to gain weight during this phase. Sometimes the symptoms of perimenopause can be mimicked by other conditions also, like for example in the case of thyroid disorders. Therefore, it's always best to consult your physician before you jump to conclusions.

All the above-mentioned symptoms occur because of hormonal imbalances, mainly having too much estrogen and not enough progesterone to balance out. During this phase, the ratio of estrogen to progesterone in the body is frequently in a state of flux. The hormonal balance of most women tends to tilt to the estrogen side of the scale, as a result of diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and low in quality proteins, a lack of essential nutrients and fats, and chronic exposure to environmental toxins and artificial hormones. In today’s fast-paced, disconnected, eat-and-run world, it is no surprise that younger and younger women are experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalance and perimenopause.

So, if you are experiencing any of these changes in your body, I would strongly suggest that you consult your gynecologist for an expert opinion and a thorough check up. There are also gynecologists who specialise in menopause, and you could search for one in your area. Dealing with, and understanding, the physical and emotional issues of perimenopause in its early stages can help you cope with them in a better, more healthful manner. There are many resources and articles that you will be able to find on the Internet that cover this topic in great detail. Check this link to get started: http://www.perimenopausesymptoms.org/

India beats Sri Lanka with 6 wickets to win the ICC World cup 2011. History has been created on this day, the 2nd of April 2011 as India defeated Sri Lanka to win the cup after a gap of 28 years. They managed the feat even though the two openers Virendra Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar got out early in the innings. Gautam Gambhir gave a remarkable and memorable performance of 97 runs that helped to stabilise the innings along with Virat Kohli and later MS Dhoni who helped him to get the runs on the board. It was proved yet again, that the younger players were perfectly capable of winning matches without the help of senior players like Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag.

MS Dhoni has been declared as the best Indian Captain ever in the Indian Cricket history. I agree with them all as I am a huge fan of this great cricketer. I congratulate Dhoni on his victory and also all the team members who stood by him and always gave him their best. You truly deserve this trophy. Dhoni sported a new bald look immediately after winning the match, as he had promised his God while saying his prayers just before the match. MS Dhoni was awarded the man of the match for his excellent knock of 91 not out that got his team the victory and the World cup title as the number one team. Yuvraj Singh was awarded the Man of the Tournament for having won four man of the match awards in the world cup series. All the players were very emotional soon after the match, and they had tears in their eyes as they hugged and slapped each other on their backs. Well, they certainly worked hard for this day. See pictures of the victory celebrations!

The target of 275 runs put up by the Sri Lankans for India was easily achieved by the batsmen as MS Dhoni hit the winning six runs to end the game in style. MS Dhoni proved himself with his bat and brains on the field in this game and showed himself to be worthy of the cup. He definitely deserved the cup this year as he gave a brilliant performance as a captain throughout the world cup tournament, even through some really controversial decisions. He proved himself to be right each and every time.

Congratulations team India to win the world cup after 28 years . The last cup was won in 1983 by captain Kapil Dev. Team India deserves this win this year. An added feather in the cap of the legend Sachin Tendulkar, for whom this will be the last world cup. The board of Indian cricket has decided to award each player of the Indian team a prize money of 1 crore rupees. With this win, India becomes the first nation to win the world cup on home ground.

There were some rumors floating around that the trophy awarded to the players on the day of the match was a fake. Apparently the customs officials at the airport had not cleared the original trophy to be taken before the taxes were paid by the ICC. However, the matter was cleared by the ICC board and they assured everyone that the trophy that was awarded to the team was the original one. Read these news reports for more information as to what happened:

Mumbai: "The ICC today rejected reports that the World Cup with the Indian team is a replica and maintained that it is the original trophy after controversy broke out over news that that it was a fake that was presented to the team on Saturday." Read more...

Sachin Tendulkar won his first ever world cup after playing in 6 world cup matches so far. He was carried on the shoulders of the young players - Suresh Raina and Viraat Kohli for a victory lap. Sachin Tendulkar said that MS Dhoni was the best ever Indian Captain that he had played under.

Watch You Tube Video of Victory....after 28 years.

Celebrations are on, as the whole nation celebrates the victory of team India! Congratulations! See more pictures here: